Datapack Codex

Salmon

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This article is reproduced from Salmon on the Minecraft Wiki. Mirrored from revision 3722610. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 by the Minecraft Wiki contributors — not under the Codex’s CC BY-SA 4.0, and it may not be used commercially. Edits belong upstream, not here.

On this page
Salmon
Invicon Salmon Spawn Egg.png: Inventory sprite for Salmon Spawn Egg in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Salmon Spawn EggInvicon Bucket of Salmon.png: Inventory sprite for Bucket of Salmon in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Bucket of Salmon
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    "title": "Salmon",
    "rows": [
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            "field": "3<span class=\"hidden-alt-text\">HP</span><span class=\"nowrap mc-hearts\"><span class=\"iconbar pixel-image nowrap\" title=\"1.5  hearts\">(link to File:Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=❤️)(link to File:Half Heart (icon).png article, displayed as 9px|link=|alt=💔)</span></span>",
            "label": "(link to Health article, displayed as Health points)"
        },
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            "field": "Passive",
            "label": "Behavior"
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            "field": "<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:EntitySprite animal.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Animal|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Animal article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Animal</span>)</span><br><span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:EntitySprite aquatic.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Aquatic|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Aquatic article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Aquatic</span>)</span>",
            "label": "(link to Mob type article, displayed as Mob type)"
        },
        {
            "field": "'''In (link to Java Edition article, displayed as ''Java Edition''):'''<br>\n'''Small salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.2 blocks<br>Width: 0.35 blocks<br>'''Medium salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.4 blocks<br>Width: 0.7 blocks<br>'''Large salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.6 blocks<br>Width: 1.05 blocks<br>\n'''In (link to Bedrock Edition article, displayed as ''Bedrock Edition''):'''<br>\n'''Small salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.25 blocks<br>Width: 0.25 blocks<br>'''Medium salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.5 blocks<br>Width: 0.5 blocks<br>'''Large salmon:'''<br>Height: 0.75 blocks<br>Width: 0.75 blocks",
            "label": "(link to Hitbox article, displayed as Hitbox size)"
        },
        {
            "field": "0.7",
            "label": "(link to Attribute#Movement_speed article, displayed as Speed)"
        },
        {
            "field": "(values exceeds 1000 characters...)",
            "label": "(link to Mob spawning article, displayed as Spawn)"
        },
        {
            "field": "\n*   <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:ItemSprite water-bucket.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Water Bucket|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Water Bucket article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Water Bucket</span>)</span>   \n*   <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:ItemSprite name-tag.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Name tag|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Name tag article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Name tag</span>)</span>",
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    "images": [
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Salmon are common bucketable aquatic passive mobs found in oceans and rivers that are a source of raw salmon and, occasionally, bones‌[Bedrock Edition only] or bone meal.‌[Java Edition only]

Spawning

Salmon sizes, from left to right: small, normal and large

Salmon spawn in small, normal, and large sizes. 31.6% spawn as small, 52.6% spawn as normal, and 15.8% spawn as large.

Salmon spawns in:
Category:
Water ambient‌[JE only]
Water creature‌[BE only]		Java EditionBedrock Edition
Spawn areaSpawn weightSpawn chanceGroup sizeSpawn weightGroup size
Frozen River5⁄5100%1–5163–5
Deep Frozen Ocean15⁄15100%1–5263–5
Frozen Ocean15⁄15100%1–5263–5
River5⁄5100%1–5163–5
Cold Ocean15⁄3050%1–5263–5
Deep Cold Ocean15⁄3050%1–5263–5
Deep Ocean———263–5
Ocean———263–5
Lukewarm Ocean———263–5
Deep Lukewarm Ocean———263–5

Java Edition

Salmon spawn in groups of 1–5 in cold or frozen oceans, as well as their deep variants, subject to fish spawning requirements. They also spawn in rivers and frozen rivers.

Bedrock Edition

Salmon spawn underwater at 12–32 blocks away from the player. They spawn in groups of 3–5 in lukewarm, cold, normal, frozen oceans, their deep variants, and rivers (including frozen rivers). In addition, salmon spawn on the surface (that is, there must not be a spawnable block above the spawn location with a non-solid block on top).

Drops

Java Edition:

ItemQuantity / Chance / Average
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]1100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.00
Cooked Salmon[B]1100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.00
Bone Meal0–15.00%0.050–15.00%0.050–15.00%0.050–15.00%0.05

ItemQuantity / Chance / Average
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]111111111111
Cooked Salmon[B]111111111111
Bone Meal0–11⁄201⁄200–11⁄201⁄200–11⁄201⁄200–11⁄201⁄20

ItemAmountProbability
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]11 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)
Average1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)
Cooked Salmon[B]11 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)
Average1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)
Bone Meal019⁄20 (95.00%)19⁄20 (95.00%)19⁄20 (95.00%)19⁄20 (95.00%)
11⁄20 (5.00%)1⁄20 (5.00%)1⁄20 (5.00%)1⁄20 (5.00%)
Average1⁄20 (0.05)1⁄20 (0.05)1⁄20 (0.05)1⁄20 (0.05)

Killed1
ItemExpected Drops
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]1.001.001.001.00
Cooked Salmon[B]1.001.001.001.00
Bone Meal0.050.050.050.05

  1. ↑ Only when not on fire and not killed with a weapon enchanted with Fire Aspect.
  2. ↑ Only when on fire or killed with a weapon enchanted with Fire Aspect.

Bedrock Edition:

ItemQuantity / Chance / Average
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]1100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.00
Cooked Salmon[B]1100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.001100.00%1.00
Bone[C]0–125.00%0.250 / 2–326.00%0.650 / 3–527.00%1.080 / 4–728.00%1.54
Bone[D]0–225.00%0.380 / 2–426.00%0.780 / 3–627.00%1.220 / 4–828.00%1.68

ItemQuantity / Chance / Average
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]111111111111
Cooked Salmon[B]111111111111
Bone[C]0–11⁄41⁄40 / 2–313⁄5013⁄200 / 3–527⁄10027⁄250 / 4–77⁄2577⁄50
Bone[D]0–21⁄43⁄80 / 2–413⁄5039⁄500 / 3–627⁄100243⁄2000 / 4–87⁄2542⁄25

ItemAmountProbability
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]11 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)
Average1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)
Cooked Salmon[B]11 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)1 (100.00%)
Average1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)1 (1.00)
Bone[C]03⁄4 (75.00%)37⁄50 (74.00%)73⁄100 (73.00%)18⁄25 (72.00%)
11⁄4 (25.00%)000
2013⁄100 (13.00%)00
3013⁄100 (13.00%)27⁄400 (6.75%)0
40027⁄200 (13.50%)7⁄150 (4.67%)
50027⁄400 (6.75%)7⁄75 (9.33%)
60007⁄75 (9.33%)
70007⁄150 (4.67%)
Average1⁄4 (0.25)13⁄20 (0.65)27⁄25 (1.08)77⁄50 (1.54)
Bone[D]03⁄4 (75.00%)37⁄50 (74.00%)73⁄100 (73.00%)18⁄25 (72.00%)
11⁄8 (12.50%)000
21⁄8 (12.50%)13⁄200 (6.50%)00
3013⁄100 (13.00%)27⁄800 (3.38%)0
4013⁄200 (6.50%)81⁄800 (10.12%)7⁄300 (2.33%)
50081⁄800 (10.12%)7⁄100 (7.00%)
60027⁄800 (3.38%)7⁄75 (9.33%)
70007⁄100 (7.00%)
80007⁄300 (2.33%)
Average3⁄8 (0.38)39⁄50 (0.78)243⁄200 (1.22)42⁄25 (1.68)

Killed1
ItemExpected Drops
DefaultLooting ILooting IILooting III
Raw Salmon[A]1.001.001.001.00
Cooked Salmon[B]1.001.001.001.00
Bone[C]0.250.651.081.54
Bone[D]0.380.781.221.68

  1. ↑ Only when not on fire.
  2. ↑ Only when on fire.
  3. ↑ Only if salmon size is small or medium.
  4. ↑ Only if salmon size is large.

Behavior

Salmon tend to swim in schools with a maximum of 7 salmon per school.

They can swim up approximately 4–5 blocks in waterfalls, emulating the behavior of real-world salmon that leap into and over small waterfalls to reach their spawning ground.

The player may collect salmon by using a water bucket on it, which gives the player a bucket of salmon. Salmon placed with buckets do not despawn naturally. When the bucket of salmon is used against a block, it empties the bucket, placing water with the salmon swimming in it.

Salmon cannot be bred; they spawn naturally.

Some salmon may randomly leave their school swimming away and they may despawn.

Weaknesses

Salmon cannot survive out of water. Outside of water, they flop around for a while until they die from suffocation. Salmon flip around on their sides. In Bedrock Edition, they rotate when flipping. Salmon also cannot swim or breathe in cauldron water.[1]

In Java Edition, salmon have a weakness to weapons that have the Impaling enchantment, which also affects other fish and water mobs except drowned.

Axolotls always attack salmon on sight.

Sounds

Java Edition

Sounds
SoundClosed captionsSourceDescriptionIdentifierTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
None​None[sound 1]Friendly MobsRandomlyentity.salmon.ambientNone​1.00.8–1.216
​Salmon diesFriendly MobsDeathentity.salmon.deathsubtitles.entity.salmon.death​1.00.64–0.9616
​Salmon hurtsFriendly MobsHurtentity.salmon.hurtsubtitles.entity.salmon.hurt​1.00.64–0.9616
​Salmon flopsFriendly MobsFlopping on landentity.salmon.flopsubtitles.entity.salmon.flop​0.30.64–0.9616
​SplashesFriendly MobsSwimmingentity.fish.swimsubtitles.entity.fish.swim​0.0–1.0 [sound 2]0.6–1.416
  1. ↑ "[MC-97521] Missing sound for event: minecraft:entity.cod.ambient, minecraft:entity.salmon.ambient, minecraft:entity.snowman.ambient – Jira" – Mojira, February 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ The fish's momentum, with the horizontal axes' velocities multiplied by 0.2 (capped at 1.0)

Bedrock Edition

Sounds
SoundClosed captionsSourceDescriptionIdentifierTranslation keyVolumePitch
​ ?Friendly MobsDeathmob.fish.hurt​ ?1.00.8–1.2
​ ?Friendly MobsHurtmob.fish.hurt​ ?1.00.8–1.2
​ ?Friendly MobsFlopping on landmob.fish.flop​ ?1.01.0
​ ?Friendly MobsSwimmingmob.fish.step​ ?0.151.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

NameIdentifierEntity tags Translation key
EntitySprite salmon.png: Sprite image for salmon in Minecraft Salmonsalmonaquatic
axolotl_hunt_targets
can_breathe_under_water
not_scary_for_pufferfish
sensitive_to_impaling		 entity.minecraft.salmon

Bedrock Edition:

NameIdentifierNumeric ID FamilyTranslation key
EntitySprite salmon.png: Sprite image for salmon in Minecraft Salmonsalmon109 aquatic
fish
salmon		entity.salmon.name

Entity data

Salmon have entity data associated with them that contain various properties.

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Entity format.

Achievements

IconAchievementIn-game descriptionActual requirements (if different)Gamerscore earnedTrophy type (PS)
PS4Other
I am a Marine BiologistCollect a fish in a bucketUse a water bucket on any fish mob by right-clicking.20Bronze
It SpreadsKill a mob next to a catalystKill any mob that drops experience near a sculk catalyst, with the sole exception of the ender dragon. Mobs that drop no experience are ignored for this achievement.10Bronze

Achievements that apply to all mobs:

Advancements

IconAdvancementIn-game descriptionActual requirements (if different)
It SpreadsKill a mob near a Sculk CatalystKill any mob that drops experience near a sculk catalyst, with the sole exception of the ender dragon. Mobs that drop no experience are ignored for this advancement.
Tactical FishingCatch a Fish... without a Fishing Rod!Use a water bucket on any fish mob.

Advancements that apply to all mobs:

History

Development

June 28, 2010Notch mentioned that fish might be a feature of coral, if he were able to add coral: "... I do know that the corals will have tiny fish particles around them."
October 4, 2010Fish were a passive mob that Notch showed interest in adding. In the promotional graphic for the Halloween Update, Notch indicated he would add fish. However, they were added only as an item; there was no code for a fish mob.
October 5, 2012Fish were jokingly teased in the fake snapshot 12marc40awesome, along with coral and "fish blocks".
April 13, 2013When Jon Kågström was asked in his AMA on Reddit, "What mob would you like to implement into the game?" He responded, "I would like to add birds, fish and tree animals to make it more alive. However this will take some time before it can be done."
July 31, 2013During Notch's AMA on Reddit, when asked about what happened to his plans of adding fish as a mob, he responded, "Oh yeah, the fish!"

Java Edition

Java Edition
1.1318w08b Added salmon.
Salmon have 20HP❤️ × 10 health.
18w10aThe health of salmon has been changed to 3HP❤️💔.[2]
18w15aSalmon now drop the cooked version of their item drops, if killed while on fire.
1.13.118w31aSalmon now have a 5% chance of dropping bone meal when killed.
1.1821w40aSalmon now spawn only between y=50 and y=64.
1.21.224w33aAdded small and large salmon sizes.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
1.4.0beta 1.2.14.2 Added salmon mobs, which come in 3 sizes; small, medium and large.
1.13.0beta 1.13.0.9Salmon now drop experience when killed.
1.16.100beta 1.16.100.52Salmon now drop cooked salmon when killed on fire.
1.17.10beta 1.17.10.22Salmon no longer can be picked up with an empty bucket.
1.18.0beta 1.18.0.21Salmon now spawn only between y=50 and y=64.
1.19.10Preview 1.19.10.23The health of salmon has been changed to 3HP❤️💔.

Legacy Console Edition

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360Xbox OnePS3PS4PS VitaWii USwitch
TU69 1.761.761.76Patch 38 Added small, medium and large salmon mobs.

Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education
1.4.0 Added salmon mobs.

Issues

Issues relating to "Salmon" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Screenshots

  • A school of 3 salmon.
    A school of 3 salmon.
  • A school of 4 salmon swimming in a frozen river.
    A school of 4 salmon swimming in a frozen river.
  • Different sizes of a school of salmon in Bedrock Edition
    Different sizes of a school of salmon in Bedrock Edition

Other

Textures

  • Salmon texture file.
    Salmon texture file.

Mojang images

  • A salmon posted on Instagram[4]
    A salmon posted on Instagram[4]

In other media

See also

References

  1. ↑ MC-126819 – fish bouncing and suffocating on top of the cauldron which fill with water – resolved as "Won't Fix".
  2. ↑ MC-126091 – Fish mobs have 20 health – resolved as "Fixed".
  3. ↑ "Update Aquatic: Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About Minecraft" – Minecraft on YouTube, June 28, 2019
  4. ↑ "" – @minecraft on Instagram, July 2, 2026

Sources